A LITTLE GIRL KILLED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 198, 17 May 1920, Page 4

A LITTLE GIRL KILLED

FATHER- UNDER ARREST. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, May 16. The police were advised this- inornim; that Dr. Stenhouse, of Balclutha, hac been telephoned by Mr. Pannett., o Whareton, who said that a farmer namec John Sharp, of Rougahere, had attackcc his children during Saturday. Thi children hnd got away from him, bu in tho evening he attacked two; one goi away, but the other, a girl "namec Sophia, seven years of age, was renderec unconscious. Mr. Pannett asked l th< doctor to come to the scene and brini a. constable with him. Dr. Stcnhousi and Constable Findlay, from Balclutha si;t ■ out' for Rougahere, arriving at ; o'clock this morning. The injured girl with others members of the family, wa: with : a Mrs. Ireland nearby. On examination the doctor found tha the 'child's head Jiad been bashed in He took the child in his car, and startix out for Dunedin, with the object of plac ins the injured girl in hospital; but b; the time he had gone seven miles sh< expired. He thereupon returned witl the body to Mrs. Ireland's and left i : there. Mrs. Sharp had been in delicati health, and was staying in Dunedin. Sharp is ■ described as being 70 yean old, sft. lOin. high, stout, roughly dress ed. and with a straggled beard. 4. -party of police set out from Dune din at li o'clock this morning to searcl for Sharp. Another party of pohci also left from Invercargill, the scene oi the tragedy being on the borderland be twen Otag'o and Southland police dis tricts. , , ~ , Sharp made for Lawrence, and then gave himself up. At the police statioi he stated to Sergeant Kidd that ho lmc struck one of his girls, but thought sh< was all right.